Celebrity Apprentice Winner Arsenio Hall Chats With Damon

In case you missed it last night, Arsenio Hall won the “Celebrity Apprentice” title on last night’s finale, beating out Clay Aiken to win it all!! I had the chance to talk with Arsenio at this year’s GRAMMYs, before the new season started up… who knew he’d win it all?!?

Check out my full interview with Arsenio, as he talks about his Apprentice competitors Lou Ferrigno, Lisa Lampanelli, and Teresa Giudice, his favorite Real Housewives, and the finer points of Don Ho– Listen now!

Arsenio Hall sat down with me and Gina backstage at the GRAMMYs right before the latest season of Celebrity Apprentice started up. Arsenio was talking about his Hawaiian album “I Wanna Lei You,” including the hit tune “Check Out My Macadamia Nuts”– it may seem a little above him, but Arsenio grew up with a heavy Don Ho influence.

The actor recounted his recent chance to hang out with some of the Real Housewives– including his Apprentice castmate who he likes to call “Ju-DJ” (better know as Teresa Judice for you Housewives fans)… but Teresa wasn’t the one turning over tables when Arsenio met her– that was all Cheryl Tiegs!

Hall also discussed another rival on the show, Victoria Gotti– “She’s really savvy, a little intimidating… with Lisa Lampanelli, you know they’re jokes. With Gotti, you could disappear!” But the biggest surprise for Arsenio amongst his competition was Lou Ferrigno. “I grew up watching him with Bill Bixby, and I never dreamed of seeing Lou Ferrigno really angry– he can go there.” recalled Hall. “When he hugs you ‘good morning,’ you usually have to go to a chiropractor by lunch!”

Some of the other competitors were talking smack about Arsenio before the show began, but he didn’t really mind. “I don’t have any smack to talk because it was a game, but there were a lot of people who thought it was not a game… that there were real compounds and declared wars.” Some folks went to so far as to call Arsenio “Omarosa, with a penis,” referring to the infamous two-time Apprentice contestant know for her epic feud with Piers Morgan. Arsenio can’t wait to translate that to the former contestant, quipping “There are a lot of people who think Omarosa is Omarosa with a penis. She’s pretty tough.”

On a more serious note, it’s easier in a lot of ways for men to be tough, which Arsenio thinks is a little unfair to women. “Men are allowed to be tough, when we find a tough woman we dog them…so I’m down with a strong woman,” he recalled. “We had a lot of great, strong women [on Celebrity Apprentice]– Gotti, Judice– and then there’s me and Clay.”

Whether he was the toughest competitor or not, Arsenio came out on top during the finale of Celebrity Apprentice last night, so he’s clearly got what it takes!

After years at 96.5 TIC-FM, Damon has worked his way up from men's room attendant to afternoon drive personality. His morning show-style afternoon gig has earned him many accolades, including being voted "Most Likely to Dissuade Future Broadcaster...